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How to Get Rid of Fleas
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Adult fleas feed on the living blood of mammals and their young feed on dried blood that has been defecated by the adults. Pretty nasty, huh? Read on and we’ll conquer these nasty little insects together.
1. Destroy fleas in the environment
Fleas live on their host, but eggs can be left both on the host and in the host’s bedding. The eggs that are left on the host will fall off and accumulate in beds, clothes, carpets, cars, and anyplace that the host visits. These eggs normally hatch in 1-2 weeks, after which the fleas emerge as larvae that can live in carpets and bedding for up to 200 days before transforming into legless pupae. If conditions are still not quite right, the pupae can sit dormant for over a year before transforming into an adult! This means that many generations of flea eggs can accumulate and lead to a mass-infestation!
The first step after infestation is to clean everything that has come into contact with the infested persons or animals in order to remove as many eggs and larvae as possible. This section will walk you through this process.
Environmental flea extermination: Initial steps
- Quarantine infested pets.
- Collect bedding, rugs and throws and wash them in soapy water. Soapy water kills the eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Be careful not to spill eggs or larvae when picking them up. Eggs are usually found with tiny pellets of dried blood that are defecated by the adults and used for food by the larvae - the combination looks like salt and pepper. Really gross salt and pepper.
Vacuum everything. upholstered furniture, carpets, cracks in the floor, bare floors, and use the attachments to get in the corners, behind doors, and anywhere else that dust collects. This will pick up most of the eggs, but larvae will latch onto carpet fibers and stick around. After vacuuming, immediately remove the vacuum bag and seal it in a plastic bag. This bag can then be put into the freezer to kill any fleas and be reused later.- The remaining larvae can be dealt with by having the carpets professionally steam-cleaned (the steam will kill every stage of flea except eggs). Make sure you warn the cleaners about the fleas and remove infested animals. Alternatively, you can shampoo the carpet with insecticidal carpet shampoo or have a pest control professional apply an infrared heat treatment to the carpet, which kills all stages of flea.
- If your pet spends much time outside, drench his usual resting areas with lots of soap and water to drown any fleas that may be waiting for his return.
2. Flea removal from people and pets
Once the environment has been thoroughly cleaned, move immediately to it’s inhabitants. Following are details for removing fleas from people and pets.
Removing fleas from people
- Bathe one to two times daily with soap. Insecticidal shampoos are available but are not necessary.
- Comb daily with a special flea comb designed to drag fleas out of hiding and dispose of any rousted fleas in soapy water. Record daily the number of fleas removed so you can identify any population increase before it becomes a problem. You can also measure flea populations by wearing a special pair of flannel “booties” over your shoes and pants. The fleas get caught in the material and can then be counted, removed and disposed of. These booties can also be used for temporary protection when traveling into a flea infested area.
Removing fleas from pets
Please be very careful when applying flea treatments to yourself and your pets. Only use treatments that are meant for the animal you are going to use it on. Flea treatments meant for dogs and the environment can easily KILL cats. Also keep in mind that any insecticide is designed to interfere with natural biological processes - to kill.
- Wash your pet with soapy water. Insecticidal cat and dog flea shampoos are available but not necessary. Safer’s flea shampoo is one of the least toxic varieties. Stay away from shampoos that contain DEET (diethyltoluamide) as it can cause serious adverse reactions.
- Comb your pet daily with a special flea comb that is designed to extract fleas and dispose of any you find in soapy water. It is a good idea to record the number of fleas you comb out every day to keep a handle on the population numbers. Alternatively, you can wrap a length of sticky tape around your hand (sticky side out) and pat your animal down. This method works best on short haired animals.
Allergic reactions to flea bites
Allergic reactions to flea bites in humans are usually manifested as dermatitis, skin lesions and mild to severe itching. These symptoms can be improved by applying ice, menthol, camphor or calamine lotion to the bites. Over the counter insect repellents that contain diethyltoluamide (DEET) will repel fleas and lessen the frequency of bites. Apply repellents only to clothing, never to skin and never to your pets. Vitamin B1 taken orally has also been proven to repel fleas, so start taking a B-complex multivitamin. If your allergies are really bothering you, go see your doctor about getting flea saliva allergen treatments to lessen or eliminate the allergy altogether.
Pets that are allergic to flea bites will exhibit hair loss, usually around the base of the tail and often accompanied by relentless chewing of the area, often until it becomes raw. Pets can become allergic to flea bites because of poor health or poor nutrition so make sure your animal is getting plenty of protein and a balanced diet.
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3 Simple steps to follow, STEP 1 - Vacuum, STEP 2 - Spray Insecticide and last but not the least, STEP 3 - Treat your pets. After a few weeks, you have to repeat the same cycle. Remember that while the fleas are in the pupae stage (in their cocoons) they are not affected by insecticides. The cocoons are watertight and protect the developing flea. This is why you may think you have killed all the fleas and larvae in your home but a week or two later you are still seeing adult fleas.
WOW! I have been at battle now for a little over a month. I have 3 dogs and a little over a month ago I saw a flea. Immediately took them to a groomer to get flea dipped and bathed. While they were being pampered my husband went and got the flea medication from the vet and my best friend came over and we cleaned from ceiling to floor throughly. It took the whole day and into the evening. By the time we were done all seemed good. The cat even got a treatment. Now! tonight my daughter saw a flea jump off the cat and on to her. OH MY GOD!!! Will this ever end. I am back to bathing animals and cleaning. I have only carpet downstairs so were are the laying eggs. I am itching all over just thinking about them. Any suggestions out there that seem to work quick as I am running out of patience.
Thanks!
The last time I have posted my comment was on Oct.2nd I would like to let you know that since I have posted I have been vacuuming my ASS off going around the base boards with vacuum mopping using a swiffer and staying up till 12:00am everyday since. I am a working mom with my 2 boys my husband works 2nd shift so I have been very busy I would like to give you some advice please invest in a shopvac dry/wet I actually burnt the motor up in mine. I have had the exterminator come 3 times since Sept.11th I seem to have beat the battle but I will continue to vacuum everyday and never have a pet in my house ever again.
VACUUM,VACUUM,VACUUM,VACUUM
Oh! I did try the salt thing due to me being parinoid about the situation I can’t say I seen a difference but it made me feel I was maintenancing the problem.
Why is it you can never seem to find a dead flea……………..
I have spent hundreds of dollars on over the counter flea remedies for my King Charles Caralier Spaniel. All of these remedies were all “highly recommended” at top pet shops. My dog’s fleas were so bad that he literally scratched all of his fur off almost to his back shoulder area. I was removing 100 fleas daily from him with a flea comb. Finally I took him to the vet. It was explained to me that by mixing OTC remedies one was cancelling the other out. I had dried out his skin so badly by giving him twice weekly flea baths that I was a big part of the itching problem. The vet gave hime Advantage (which is applied once a month and can be purchased anywhere). I have not seen a flea on him in over a week and his fur is actually starting to grow back. He’s still scratching but I think it’s because his skin is so dry. I’m putting baby oil on that. It seems to help.
I’m vacuuming twice a day (empty your bag outside immediately) and spraying Raid flea spray. It’s a long process getting rid of fleas but it seems to be working. I’ve used bombs before with little luck. Vacuuming and Advantage seem to be doing it for me.
i am looking foe natural rwmidies to rid of the fleas my pug has gotten…fortunetly the hose has remained flea free so far..i have tile flooring throughtout and wash them everyday with hot water n vinegar…can anyone help me???
does anyone know if the flea bites ever go away?
SALT!! I used to keep my dogs in the house until a few months before I had my baby and the fleas they left were ridiculous! I couldn’t get off my bed without getting eaten alive and I wasn’t always safe there either! My baby was a week old and I was scared of them biting him..I had enough. I poured regular salt all over the floors, left for about a week came home and vacumed and did it again but just ovrrnight and have not had one yet!
I have used Borax, Boric Acid, fogged the house twice using three and four times the required foggers, I have used moth balls, vacuum daily, washed everything that would fit in the washer,vet prescribed flea killer/repellent for the dogs, sprayed the furniture with flea killer and NOTHING as worked! I have done this twice, each taking one or two days to complete. I have an exterminator coming in a few days and after posting this, I am going to sprinkle garlic on the floors and carpets to vacuum AGAIN!
I got done doing all of the above yesterday for the last time. It took all day and into the night. I finished at 3am. I found three fleas in my little bath room not 24 hours later. They were jumping around, as happy as can be to see me!
After the exterminator comes, I am having the carpets streamed. All this in one week. I have been combating them for over 10 days now and they are winning!
What else could I possibly do now?????
My vet informed me after I spent $30 or more on flea bombs that they are ineffective. Why would you want to spray something that kills fleas into the air when the fleas are living in your carpet and furniture? He did have a good point. I just thought I’d pass this one so no one else is wasting their time on flea bombs.
BTW we have sprayed the house several times with a Raid that kills fleas and even bombed it! My other dog and cat are now flea free but the house no way